The present invention relates generally to handling large rolls of paper. More particularly, this invention pertains to the application of a protective covering to an unprotected paper roll in locations without major paper handling equipment.
In the printing and paper industry, large rolls of paper are handled and processed. In the course of this processing, rolls are sometimes damaged and must be scrapped or may be salvaged by the process and machine of U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,024, issued to Wallace on Oct. 12, 1999, entitled xe2x80x9cRoll-Cutterxe2x80x9d which is currently in use in the industry. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference. Often, the paper is simply of the incorrect dimension and may be resized by the roll cutter to a usable size.
When the roll cutter is used to resize a roll, at least one of the headers is removed during the cutting operation. This leaves that end exposed to dirt and possible damage. When the roll is used at the same facility, this exposure is not significant because the duration of storage is usually minimal. However, where long term storage is needed, or when the resized paper roll must be transported to other facilities, the possibility for contamination and damage to the roll is increased. This mandates that a new wrapper, headers, and caps be applied to refurbish the roll.
Paper mills and large paper processing plants are equipped with machinery to apply wrappers and headers to the finished rolls. This machinery is large, complex, very expensive, and is certainly not portable. Large production machinery does not lend itself to small orders such as for samples or incidental damage. During an equipment breakdown at these large facilities, production will cease. In critical situations, this shutdown may have a significant economic impact. In addition, during application of the roll cutter where relatively few rolls of paper are involved, difficulty arises in re-wrapping and applying new headers. Transporting the rolls to a wrapping facility is cost prohibitive and would defeat the purpose of the roll cutter. The present invention provides a method to overcome the limitations on the prior art large production rate equipment.
The prior art roll covering application sequence is shown in FIG. 1, beginning at the left and progressing to the right, where a paper roll 10 is protected by wrapping the paper roll 10 in a with a heavy gauge of paper wrapper 12, also call a body wrap 12, which extends over the ends 18 of the paper roll 10. The edges 14 of the body wrap 12 are then folded over the ends 18 of the paper roll 10. The edges 14 are then unfolded and a disc 16 is inserted between the folded edges 14 and the end 18 of the paper roll 10. The header disc 16 is a circular disc of heavy fibrous (cardboard) material approximating but smaller than the diameter of the roll 10 being refurbished and having a center hole corresponding to the diameter of the core tube. The protective disks 16 or headers 16 are applied to protect the ends 18 of the roll 10 from physical damage. The edges 14 of the wrapper 12 are then crimped back over the header 16 and a seal cap 20 is then applied and retained with adhesive to retain the body wrap 12 and eliminate contamination from dust and dirt. The end seal cap 20 is a circular disc of paper that is bonded to the crimped wrapper 12 to retain the crimp and exclude dirt from the paper roll. The cap 20 does not have a center hole to keep its sealing effect.
Current practices for wrapping small quantities of rolls is to lay the wrapper on the floor and manually roll the paper over the wrapper until it is wound around the roll. An alternative practice is to place the paper roll onto rollers to facilitate turning of the roll during re-wrapping. These rollers press into the wrapper and make it difficult to obtain a tight wrap.
The reconditioning of some rolls requires that the outer layers of paper be removed. Perhaps several inches of paper may need to be removed. The current practice is to slit the roll along its axis with a portable circular saw to the depth that needs to be removed. This creates a problem because rolls may be upwards of seven feet in diameter which will result in a slab of paper over twenty-one feet in length.
Additionally, the body wrap material is supplied on large rolls similar to the paper itself, only in wider dimensions. This presents the added difficulty of cutting the wrapper material to the size needed to handle an individual roll.
What is needed, then, is an apparatus and method to provide an inexpensive and portable system for paper roll refurbishing.
The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods to provide an inexpensive and portable system for paper roll refurbishing. Apparatus used in the present invention includes: an apparatus for holding the body wrapper supply roll and measuring the unrolled wrapper to a desired length; an apparatus for rewinding and cutting individual wrappers for transport to the point of use; an apparatus for applying the wrappers to the paper roll; an apparatus for crimping the body wrap over the end of the roll to retain the header; an apparatus for transporting the rolls from the resizing area to the wrapping area; and an apparatus for retention of the headers and caps under pressure during curing of the retaining adhesive.
These apparatus provide a system of machines and equipment that provide a comprehensive, low cost, portable system for refurbishing paper rolls.
This present invention provides a support for the body wrap and provides a way to unwind a predetermined length of body wrap material. This material is then rewound in small, easy to handle individual rolls. These pre-cut rolls may be cut to a shorter size and thus eliminate the need to obtain and store wrapper stock of various widths. In this manner, a single roll of wrapper can supply all of the sizes as required.
The present invention overcomes the problems with obtaining a tight wrap by supporting the roll from its center core and providing a powered rotation to overcome the limitations of the prior art.
The present invention provides for support of the roll from its center to elevate the roll to facilitate in removal of the excess or damaged paper, and the application, wrapping, and crimping of the body wrap material.
The present invention provides for an easily transportable roll for portable movement for refurbishing.
The present invention also provides for the retention of the body wrap during a bonding process to obtain a tightly wrapped roll.
A method for using the equipment and apparatus is also provided.
In this manner, the objective of providing improved process flow for each of the actions for refurbishing a paper roll are provided by the present invention.
Other objects and further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals.